THE WAY THINGS work with Ireland and international rugby is that there was no time for Andy Farrell’s squad to review their loss to New Zealand last weekend.

They headed home to Ireland or away on holiday the day after the game in Auckland, and they’re not due to regather until the autumn when they start preparing for the second window of the Nations Championship.

So the day that they reconvene in October is likely to be when they try to hammer home the key lessons from losing 40-21 at Eden Park.

It will be an important review because it will highlight just how much Ireland have to get the things in their control nailed-on if they’re going to get back into the habit of beating the other top teams in the world as the 2027 World Cup looms.

When they were genuine World Cup contenders in 2023, Ireland’s accuracy in possession was a core strength. And they need that element of their game to return to a peak over the next 14 months.

New Zealand appear to be on an exciting trajectory under new head coach Dave Rennie, but Farrell and co. will likely conclude that Ireland gave them far too many chances to show their class at Eden Park.

Farrell highlighted “uncharacteristic” handling and passing errors in the immediate aftermath in Auckland, something that repeatedly denied Ireland the opportunity to capitalise on promising situations.

Opta data shows that Ireland made 14 handling errors against the Kiwis, which is the fifth-highest total in the Farrell era. All in all, Ireland conceded 18 turnovers last weekend at Eden Park.

And there are few teams as dangerous as the All Blacks when it comes to punishing you for not taking care of the ball.

The issues were apparent for Ireland from the beginning of the game, with a turnover conceded just a minute in.

Ireland are attacking off an initial lineout platform, but after a couple of promising early carries, Garry Ringrose knocks on Jimmy O’Brien’s pass.

There is space for Ringrose to attack here as O’Brien draws in All Blacks scrum-half Cam Roigard, leaving Will Jordan isolated on the edge.

But the pass from O’Brien is at Ringrose’s back shoulder.

Ringrose is accelerating and expects the ball to be in front of him, and he can’t readjust to take it behind.

It spills forward, much to Ringrose’s frustration, and a good early chance to cause the All Blacks stress is gone.

Jordie Barrett then gets unlucky with a kick into space rolling dead, so Ireland are quickly back onto the attack. But again, they turn the ball over.

Ringrose gets choke-tackled by opposite number Quinn Tupaea and Luke Jacobson, who team up strongly in the collision.

Again, there are fine margins that Ireland don’t nail.

With Ardie Savea affecting the speed of their ball at the previous ruck, Ireland’s timing is a little off.

As we see above, Josh van der Flier [red] is right on top of out-half Sam Prendergast as he assesses his options.

Van der Flier isn’t a real threat to the Kiwis because he’s not thundering onto a possible pass, so Jacobson [blue] can read off him early, allowing him to combine with Tupaea in the tackle.

Ireland cope with the All Blacks’ first couple of attacking thrusts in the ensuing minutes, yet they continue to struggle to maintain pressure on the Kiwis when they get the ball back.

First, they lose an aerial contest when Prendergast kicks a contestable. Then, having done well in the shortside from a scrum, there’s a handling error on Ireland’s first entry to the Kiwi 22.

It’s second row James Ryan who knocks on this time.

Ryan is at the edge of a three-man pod of Irish forwards, and the most obvious target for scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park in this instance would be Tom O’Toole in the middle of the pod.

Yet Gibson-Park often fizzes balls across the face of more obvious receivers to a wider player, like Ryan in this example.

Ryan appears surprised at the ball getting across to him and reacts late to try and catch it. The pass is inaccurate from Gibson-Park too, dipping as it gets to Ryan and again towards the back shoulder.

Ball-carriers always want to be running onto the ball, rather than adjusting back for it, but Ryan will likely have been frustrated not to hold it.

Making it all the more disappointing for Ireland is the fact that Tadhg Beirne reaches out instinctively at the ball with his foot, playing it from an offside position.

That means it’s a penalty to the All Blacks, rather than a scrum.

The Kiwis kick the penalty to touch near the halfway line and finally punish Ireland for their string of early errors by scoring the opening try through lock Patrick Tuipulotu after a sweeping passage of attack.

15 minutes in, Ireland find themselves trailing 7-0 despite having had the opportunity to take the initiative.

And unfortunately for Farrell’s men, the errors roll on from there.

Roigard has a poor exit kick after the restart, so Ireland go another entry to the Kiwi 22, only for Beirne’s offload to Joe McCarthy to be ruled forward.

It’s a close call, but referee Nic Berry is right on the scene.

Beirne’s frustration was probably that he could have accepted losing the collision against Barrett and Tuipulotu, rather than taking on the element of risk from a relatively weak offloading position.

The All Blacks are then lucky to get away with a clear shove by hooker Codie Taylor into the back of Dan Sheehan, who actually collides with referee Berry.

And the sense of annoyance for Ireland is only heightened when Gibson-Park is penalised for a late check on Ruben Love on the next play.

That said, it’s clearly an avoidable penalty concession from Gibson-Park.

So not only have Ireland turned the ball over in the Kiwi 22 but, much like the instance with Ryan’s knock-on, it almost immediately becomes a penalty concession and a chance for New Zealand to go on the attack.

Indeed, the ensuing bout of All Blacks pressure concludes with Savea crossing for their second try.

As they now begin chasing the game, Ireland continue to make errors in attack.

In the instance below, Ryan has come up with a lineout steal. Opportunity beckons out wide.

Stuart McCloskey pops the ball to O’Brien, who pirouettes nicely to get clear of Barrett. 

The chance for fullback Hugo Keenan and right wing Rob Baloucoune to do damage is clear.

All Blacks left wing Josh Moorby gets up into the passing lane in a bid to shut Ireland’s attack down, meaning opposite number O’Brien decides to use a bridge pass, lifting the ball over him.

O’Brien doesn’t want to float the ball too high, therefore giving Moorby and co. time to cover across, but he miscalculates in this instance as Moorby intercepts.

If he got the chance all over again, O’Brien might have run forward himself here, with tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax in front of him and Moorby so keen on closing down the passing option. 

The subsequent All Blacks pressure looks certain to yield their third score, but Jacobson errs with his dangerous clearout on van der Flier close to the Irish tryline.

Farrell’s men get a lifeline, although it takes them a while to grab it.

As we see above, their first attack after Jacobson’s yellow card is unsuccessful, with Gibson-Park’s pass bouncing between Beirne’s legs and into touch.

O’Brien wants the ball at first receiver here, but Gibson-Park looks for the wider option and throws a poor pass.

They need a van der Flier breakdown poach in the next passage to get back on the front foot, which happens when O’Brien quickly learns his lesson and darts in behind Moorby, rather than trying a bridge pass.

O’Brien’s offload sends Keenan haring into space, with Baloucoune outside him.

Ultimately, Keenan opts against passing to Baloucoune.

The Irish fullback dummies and steps back to the inside of Damian McKenzie and Will Jordan, only to be grounded by the hard-working Barrett.

The window for passing to Baloucoune is when McKenzie’s shoulders are turned in towards Keenan [red below].

McKenzie is agile and would turn back out quickly if Keenan did pass, but Baloucoune is very quick and would probably beat him on the outside.

The concern for Keenan appears to be that the rapid Jordan [blue above] is swinging across the backfield and is set to cover out onto Baloucoune if the ball goes.

Keenan attempts to sell a pass to both McKenzie and Jordan before stepping inside, not knowing that Barrett is racing downfield to haul him down there.

Still, Ireland are into the 22 against a scrambling Kiwi defence. So yet another error is frustrating.

Barrett grabs at Keenan’s arms on the ground, illegal but subtly done, so the ball bobbles through Gibson-Park’s legs.

He scoops it up to Prendergast, who spins and tries to find Jack Conan, only to throw the ball directly into touch as Jordan gets a hand in to disrupt the Irish out-half.

So it takes until the 33rd minute for Ireland to get the kind of chance in which they thrive.

A lineout 10 metres from the Kiwi tryline allows them to run one of their detailed, well-rehearsed strike plays from close in. Snappy carries by McCloskey, Conan and Beirne leave them in position for Conan to power his way over.

And just like that, despite all their errors and the ominous All Blacks attack, Ireland are back in the game.

Trailing only 14-7 and with another three-and-a-half minutes left on Jacobson’s yellow card, Farrell’s men are back in the fight.

But the Conan try is not the settler they hoped for.

Instead, Ireland make their most damaging error yet off the restart.

Attempting to run out of their own 22 is an interesting decision from Ireland, even with New Zealand still down to 14 players.

There’s time to kick out and pressure the Kiwis, aiming to get the ball back for another attack before Jacobson’s return.

McCloskey is part of a four-man pod, which isn’t unusual for Ireland when they try to run their exits from the 22.

Prendergast [blue below] is set up behind McCloskey, while Keenan [pink] is swinging up to a wider position out the back, running a line behind Beirne.

It appears that McCloskey intends to pass to Keenan, although the Irish fullback is covered by the advancing Jordan.

But the ball seems to come off Beirne’s right arm, ricocheting down onto the ground and presenting Jordan with surely the easiest try of his record-setting tally of 51.

It’s inaccurate work from Ireland, and they’re punished to the tune of seven points.

The reaction in the Irish coaching box says it all.

Still, there’s time for Ireland to take advantage of Jacobson being off the pitch.

But first, they turn the ball over when Moorby claims Prendergast’s cross-kick attempt.

And then Baloucoune loses possession just after making a fingertip aerial win over Barrett.

Baloucoune lands and sets off upfield, sparking some Irish excitement.

But he leads into contact with the ball in front of him, and Savea takes his chance to dislodge it.

Love scoops up the loose ball and hits a wonderful 50:22 kick.

Jacobson returns from the sin bin and the All Blacks score from the resulting 10-metre lineout, with replacement hooker Asafo Aumua blasting over for their bonus-point try.

Ireland are 28-7 behind and though they rally in the second half, it’s too big a gap to close as further passing and handling errors hurt them.